RELS 100 EXAM #1.txt

The community of monks and nuns; lowercased sangha refers to an individual monastic community.

Sangha

A geometrical design containing deities, circles, squares, symbols, and so on that represent totality, the self, or the universe.

mandala

The totality of Buddhist teaching

Dharma

A Tibetan Buddhist teacher; a title of honor often given to all Tibetan monks.

lama

Impermanence; constant change.

anichacha

Enlightment

bodhi

A shrine, usually in the shape of a dome, used to mark Buddhist relics or sacred sites.

stupa

Sorrow, misery.

dukkha

In Chan and Zen Buddhism, a question that cannot be answered logically; a technique used to test consciousness and bring awakening.

koan

The "diamond" scepter used in Tibetan and other types of Buddhist ritual, symbolizing compassion.

vajra

The three "bodies" of the Buddha - the Dharmakaya (cosmic Buddha nature), the Nirmanakaya (historical Buddhas), and the Sambhogakaya (celestial Buddhas).

trikaya

"Thatness," "thusness," "suchres"; the uniqueness of each changing moment of reality.

tarthata.

A symbolic hand gesture.

mudra

A state of deep awareness, the result of intensive meditation.

samadhi.

In Zen, the enlightened awareness

satori

The Mahayana notion of emptiness, meaning that the universe is empty of permanent reality.

Shunyata

A sacred text, especially one said to record the words of the Buddha.

sutra.

In Theravada, a person who has practiced monastic disciplines and reached nirvana, the ideal.

arhat

"Enlightenment being,"; in Mahayana, a person of deep compassion, especially one who does not enter nirvana but is constantly reborn to help others, a heavenly being of compassion.

bodhisattva

"Meditation" focusing of the mind; sometimes, stages of trance.

dhyana

A popular bodhisattva of compassion in Mahayana

Guanyin

Compassion, empathy

karuna

A Buddha (or bodhisattva) expected to appear on earth in the future.

Maitreya

"No self"; the doctrine that there is no soul or permanent essence in people and things.

anatta

The Buddha of the Western Paradise; a bliss-body Buddha in Mahayana

Amitabha Buddha

The three "baskets" or collections, of Buddhist texts.

Tripitaka

The release from suffering and rebirth that brings inner peace.

nirvana

Constant rebirth and the attendant suffering; the everyday world of change

samsara

"Not know" (Greek); a position asserting that the existence of God cannot be proven.

agnosticism

From the Latin anima, meaning "spirit," "soul," "life force"; a worldview common among oral religions (religions with no written scriptures) that sees all elements of nature as being filled with spirit or spirits.

animism

'Not God" (Greek); a position asserting that there is no God or gods.

atheism

A technique, pioneered by Jacques Derrida, that sets aside ordinary categories of analysis, and makes use, instead, of unexpected perspectives on cultural elements; it can be used for finding underlying values in text, film, artwork, cultural practice, or religious phenomenon.

deconstruction.

The belief that reality is made of two different principles (spirit and matter); the belief of two gods (good and evil) in conflict.

dualism.

Existing and operating within nature.

immanent

The belief in one God.

monotheism

A position that is unconcerned with the supernatural, not asserting or denying the existence of any deity.

nontheism

The belief that everything in the universe is divine.

pantheism

The belief in many gods

polytheism

"Climbing beyond" (Latin); beyond time and space.

transcendent

A long-stemmed sacred pipe used primarily by many native peoples of North America; it is smokes as a token of peace.

calumet

A foretelling of the future or a look into the past; a discovery of the unknown by magical means.

divination

Organic, integrated; indicating a complete system, greater than the sum of its parts; here, refers to a culture whose various elements (art, music, social behavior) may all have religious meanings.

holistic.

The act of pouring a liquid on the ground as an offering to a god.

libation.

A human being who contacts and attempts to manipulate the power of spirits for the tribe or group

shaman

An attempt to influence the outcome of an event through an action that has an apparent similarity to the desired result - for example throwing water into the air to produce rain or burning an enemy's fingernail clippings to bring sickness to that enemy.

sympathetic magic

A strong social prohibition

taboo

An animal (or image of an animal) that is considered to be related by blood to a family or clan and is its guardian or symbol.

totem

Religions includes 8 importances.

1. Belief system / worldview

2. Community of Believers

3. Core stories.

4. Ritual (reinforcement)

5. Ethics (how you act in the outside world)

6. Characteristic Emotions.

7. Material Expression

8. Sacredness (separation between secular and supernatural worlds)

Religion is attempt to influence control nature.

James Frazer

Religion helps us feel secure in an unsafe universe.

Sigmund Freud.

Religion fills a need for individuation (personal fullfillment).

Carl Jung

Religion allows leaders to oppress the working class (the "opiate of the masses").

Karl Marx.

Indian prince who became Buddha : "Enlightened One"

Siddhartha

What was the prophecy at Sidddhartha's birth?

He was destined to either conquer the world of be an enlightened being (the Buddha).

When was Siddhartha born?

500 years BCE.

What happened to Siddhartha when he was 7 years old?

the queen (his mother) died.

What was Siddhartha's father's position.

The king.

What was Siddhartha's childhood like?

Delicately brought up. Prince of a warrior clan, ate the finest food, wore costly garments, completey isolated and sheltered from reality of the modern world.

Name the 4 counters of the Buddha?

1. Old man

2. Sick man

3. Corpse

4. Spiritual seeker.

Being aware of the presence.

mindfulness

3 Jewels of Buddhism.

1. Buddha

2. Dharma (teachings)

3. Sangha (community)

4 Noble Truths

1. Suffering. (dukkha)

2. Why? why do we suffer? Comes from Desire

3. Cessation of the suffering: the remainderless - to end suffering (Nirvana)

4. The way of practice to end desire follow > Eight-Fold Path

In many Native American religious traditions, there is little distinction between human and animal worlds. These native religions see everything in the universe as being alive, a concept known as?

animism

In native societies, everyday religious activity and practice are significant, because their primary purpose is often to place individuals, families, and groups in "right _______" with gods, ancestors, other human beings and nature.

relationships

Sacred space is the ________ through which the "other world" of gods and ancestors can contact us and we can contact them.

doorway

3 Examples of sacred space

1. Native American Sweatlodge

2. Ireland's Drombeg Stone

3. England Stonhenge.

Special rituals marks a person's entry into adulthood. In Native American religions, a common ritual of early maturity is the ____________ quest.

vision or dream

3 examples of coming-of-age ceremonies.

1. Marriage - ritual that not only publicly affirms and stabilizes a union but also cements economic arrangements and through the ceremony ensures fertility.

2. The Poro (secret initiation society) for boys.

3. Apache, a four-day ceremony marking a girl's menarche.

3 Examples of Taboo.

1. Among some Africans, commoners touching the food before the King. (Food)

2. Blood - traditional Hawaian women of high rank gave birth in isolation at a special site.

3. Death - proper rituals must be performed, accompanied by public mourning.

3 examples of divination

1. Diviner - looks for causes of sickness, depression, death, and other difficulties.

2. Healer - works with a person afflicted with physical or mental illness to find a cure.